Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary artist Eva Adderley is stepping into a new creative space with the release of her debut novel, “Raised,” a story that blends magical realism, grief and questions of identity. 

The novel is set to release on May 15 through Campfire Press, an independent publisher focused on challenging borders and boundaries while emphasizing shared humanity. “Raised” follows Sadie, a young woman navigating life after the death of her father — a man who left years earlier to live with a family of bears in a forest surrounding her hometown. 

For Adderley, the story grew out of both real-life inspiration and long-standing emotional focus in her work. 

“It was kind of like dual inspiration,” Adderley said. “There’s sort of an emotional inspiration and more of a literal inspiration.”

The spark came from a documentary about a man who lived with a family of bears for years, before eventually being killed and eaten by one. A story Adderley found was often reduced to its tragic ending. 

“I thought the framing of it was really odd because there was just really sensationalized focus on like the ending,” Adderley said. 

From there,  the concept evolved into a fictional world grounded in themes she frequently returns to, grief, found family and humanity’s relationship with nature. 

“I often explore themes of grief, and found family, and our connection to nature,” Adderley said. 

Those themes take shape through Sadie, a woman raised by wolves whose identity exists somewhere between human and animal. Her relationship becomes the emotional core of the novel as she navigates loss and shifting identities. 

Publisher Jordan Gracey, founder of Campfire Press, said those ideas aligned closely with the press’s mission. 

“The mission of the press is to publish books that interrogate borders and boundaries between people,” Gracey said. 

“Raised” is the first title to be published by the press since its 2024 founding, making it both a debut novel and a milestone release. 

“What really appealed to me about the book was the voice,” Gracey said. “The book reads like a new fairy tale.”

Gracey pointed to the novel’s exploration of what it means to be human versus what it means to be animal.

Adderley’s background as a multidisciplinary artist also shapes the novel’s world. Known locally for her work with organizations like Art Shanty Projects, Northern Spark and Barebones Puppets, she often blends visual storytelling with themes of nature and community. 

Oanh Vu, a Minneapolis puppeteer and co-artistic director of Puppet Lab, who has collaborated with Adderley, said artistic background is evident in writing. 

“She’s just an incredible visual artist, and also a writer,” Vu said. 

Vu added that Adderley’s experience in puppetry translates into detailed imagery on the page.

“She’s really paying attention to visually what the characters look like, how they sound, a lot of their mannerisms,” Vu said. 

That attention to detail contributes to the novel’s balance between grounded and intimate storytelling, something Adderley described as both dreamlike and surreal.

“I think it’s a very warm-hearted story with characters who love each other and grow in that way,” Adderley said. 

At its core, “Raised” also challenges the idea that humans exist separately from the natural world. 

“I’m just interested in the human impulse to try to separate ourselves from animals,” Adderley said. “I think that’s an uncompassionate and unhelpful way to move through the world.” 

Those ideas connect to broader conversations around identity and belonging, both within the novel and beyond it. Adderley said she hopes the story resonates with readers navigating their own grief or transitions. 

“I hope that people take away from it a feeling of being seen,” Adderley said.  

For readers, the novel offers something equally layered, a story that is at once strange, heartfelt and deeply human. The novel is set to release on May 15.